At Mrs CC's insistence I picked up Daisies of the Galaxy by Eels the other week.
There are three Eels records on the shelves. Mrs CC quite likes them I don't really
I freely accept that there is no logical or rational reason for not particularly like them.
There are worse bands on the shelves and some of their songs are pretty good - the second one below for instance
They just annoy me particularly the lead singer Mark Oliver Everett who insists on being known as E.
I saw a documentary about him and he appears to be up his own backside.
Also, I couldn't go Susan's House
I'm sure we all have bands which we don't get. or is it just me?
Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels is a favourite phrase of Mrs CC and one inherited from her late father who was a banker when it was a noble profession unlike the self serving obscenity it is today.
Eels - Wooden Nickels
Eels - Mr E's Beautiful Blues
I do like Eels, though not obsessively so. Of late, far to many of his songs just sound the same and not particularly moving. Still some really good ones in there though.
ReplyDeleteI understand how they can be annoying, and I haven't kept up with them as I agree with The Robster about his later output - but I do have time for E and have really enjoyed seeing Eels live a few times, very different performances (one with strings), very entertaining and satisfying gigs. Soul Jacker remains my favourite Eels album and is still on the shelf.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you say he seemed to be up his own backside on the documentary! I haven't seen it but I would thoroughly recommend his book 'Things The Grandchildren Should Know' - I found it funny, moving and really rather inspiring considering some of the truly awful crap he's been through.
As I say it is probably just me
Delete"I'm sure we all have bands which we don't get. or is it just me",
ReplyDeleteI'm sure everyone has a list of well-known bands they just don't like. Not U2, obviously, it should be illegal to like them!
The Eels - never heard them, so as someone once said to me "we'll see"
Back in 1971, at one of his solo shows, Neil Young commented on 'Wooden Nickel' - a CSNY bootleg: “Wooden Nickel? Never heard it. That's a capitalist ripoff.”. (I heard that on the subsequent bootleg of Neil's solo show).
ReplyDeleteJust thought you might like to know that.
Quite enjoy Eels myself although they're obviously not in the same league as say Vashti Bunyan.
ReplyDeleteAnd E is quite an irritating name to give yourself now you mention it.
Jamie
I like Eels and Mark seems like a genuinely interesting bloke with a tale to tell. However, I'm sure we all have artists.bands we just don't *get*...I have loads.
ReplyDeleteSaw eels open for Lush. In retrospect, a weird pairing. I wouldn't call myself a huge fan, but I can listen to the song Trouble With Dreams every day!
ReplyDeleteSeems like I'm in an illogical minority
ReplyDeleteCC, listening to Wooden Nickels I can confidently state I am NOT a fan. And the second one, defintiely NOT.
Delete...but that 2nd one does remind me of Get Off of My Cloud (Rolling Stones).
ReplyDeleteI once drank a lot of beer in a bar called "The Wooden Nickel" in Bridgewater in Massachussetts. Don't go there.
ReplyDeleteSound advice which I shall bear in mind in the unlikely event of ever finding myself there.Thanks
DeleteMight as well throw my twopence in here. I'm in Mrs CC's camp, in a cerebral sense, as I think Eels are a pretty worthy band with some great tracks and I really like 'em. Yet....at the same time having heard a load of their albums (my wife is also a fan) I can agree with you that there's plenty ordinary fodder thrown in the mix too. On balance though I come down on their side. My benchmark in these kind of love 'em/hate'em situations is that if you can write just one killer tune then you're 'in'. In Mark Everett's case he's written at least half a dozen classics so he's definitely up there. When I saw him at Sheff City Hall the first half of the show was taken up with a documentary he'd made for the BBC about his dad, an eminent physicist who'd died quite young which cleary affected young Mark. His sister committed suicide and his mum died of cancer which ratchets up his 'issues'. All in all his oddness has a hinterland and I'm coming down on his side. His Shrek twosome (Beloved Monster and I Need Some Sleep) by themselves nail it for me.
ReplyDeleteI suppose if you have been through all that Spence you won't come out the other end undamaged. I should probably make some allowances
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